Protective device for lamp shade



Dec. 25, 1956 J. H. PXNGREY PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR LAMP SHADE Filed Dec. 4, 1952 INVENTOR. JEROME 1% PIA/GREY iwd ate Pm 2,175,345 PRO TECTIVE DEVICE OR LAMP SHADE Jerome H. Pingrey, Minneapolis, Minn. Application December 4, 1952, Serial'No. 324,101

3 Claims. onus-45.33

This invention relates to'astructure for protecting lamp shades from distortion. shades with a thin transparent material, such as cellophane. Cellophane is commonly. used because of its transparency and its great strength. However, .cellophane has a tendency to shrink over a period of time after having been put to such use. Shades are wrapped 1n material, such as cellophane, to protect them against soiling and also to enhance their beauty and sales appeal. Wrapping material, such as cellophane, however, upon shrinking tends to buckle the lamp shades and thus there is created a considerable amount of spoilage. Lamp shades thus affected are beyond repair. The volume of such distorted and damaged shades is very large.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means to compensate for the shrinkage of shrinkable wrapping material about a lamp shade so that the lamp shade Wlll not become warped or buckled and spoiled.

It is another object of this invention to provide a member adapted to be disposed about a rim portion of a lamp shade which is reducible in volume and which can be adapted to compensate for the shrinkage of shrinkable wrapping material placed about said lamp shade.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a member to be disposed about a rim portion of a lamp shade, a body of material carried by said member reducible in volume as by sublimation, a shrinkable wrapping material placed about said lamp shade and exerting pressure about said body of material whereby said body of material will compensate for the shrinkage of said wrapping material.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide in connection with a lamp shade having a transparent shrinkable wrapping material thereabout, a member disposed about a rim portion of said shade, a body of material carried by said member reducible in volume by evaporation or volatilization, such as naphthalene or similar material and having pressure exerted thereon by said wrapping material, and means for holding said member and said body of material'in operatve positon whereby said body of material will compensate for the shrinkage of said wrapping material.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of applicants device;

Fig. 2 is a view of applicants device taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section of a lamp shade showing applicants device in operating position; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in vertical section of a portion of Fig. 3 showing applicants device in operating position.

Referring to the drawings, a lamp shade is shown. This is an ordinary type of lamp shade comprising an upper annular rim portion 11, a shade-holding means 12,

It is customary to wrap lamp 2,775,345 Patented Dec. 25, 1a 5 s ice a lower annular rim portion 13, and lamp shade'co material 14. Wherea shade is made of flexible fabric, supporting means are provided between the'upper and lower rim portions. However in the shade here disclosed, the covering material is sufficiently rigid not to require such supporting means. Said rim portions are commonly made of wire and said covering material may be any suitable material, such as parchment, parchment covered with rayon or silk material, certain papers, or any other commonly used material.

A ring or annulus 16 is provided preferably disposed substantially in one plane. In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated, said ring is disclosed as being made of substantially rigid sheet material, such as stiff paper, cardboard or pasteboard. Carried by said ring 16 is a body of material 17.- Said body of material must be reducible in volume. Any suitable material may be used. It has been found that a material, such as naphthalene, or naphthalene-like materials, has been found favorable for use inasmuch as its rate of sublimation can be controlled by varying its composition.

An adhesive material 18 is provided for holding said ring 16 and material 17 thereon in operative position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, with said material 17 engaging the lower side of lower rim 13. In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, said member 18 is shown fastened to the lower portion of member 16 and brought up and around the same and is fastened to the inner side of said shade. Said material 18 need only be applied in a few places which will be sufficient to hold member 16 in operative position.

Disposed about said shade 10 in vertically extending overlapping layers or convolutions extending through the central opening of the shade is a thin transparent wrapping material 20. In the embodiment of .the invention here presented, said wrapping material is disclosed as being cellophane which has been found very desirable for this particular use. Said wrapping material 20 is disposed about members 16 and 17 and exerts some pressure on said members. Said material 17 is adapted to reduce in volume at substantially the same rate that said wrapping material shrinks with the result that no additional pressure is placed upon the lamp shade as a result of said shrinkage.

In operation, said body of material 17 isplaced on said ring 16 and said ring and material are disposed adjacent the lower rim portion 13 of said shade. Adhesive material 18 is applied to said member 16 and to the inner side of said shade 10 at several places about said shade. Said adhesive material in three or four places will be ample to hold said members 16 and 17 in operating position. Wrapping material 20 is then placed about said lamp shade and about said members 16 and 17. It is a common pract ce to provide a machine for wrapping said shades in said material. Said members 16 and 17 are placed in a position not noticeable to an observer of said shade and said members do not detract from the appearance or saleabili-ty of said shade when on display for sale purposes. Said material 17 is adapted to evaporate, volatilize, su'blimate or become reduced in volume over a considerable period, which may be from three to six weeks. Thus said material 17 compensates for the shrinkmg of said wrapping material. As a result, when said wrapping material shrinks, no additional pressure is placed upon the lamp shade as a result of said shrinking. Hence the lamp shade is saved from any possible damage which ordinarily would result from said shrinkage.

Therefore it is seen that I have provided a very simple yet highly useful device to be used in connection with a wrapped lamp shade and which saves said lamp shade from any possible damage which may result from the contraction or Shllllkmg of the wrapping material about said shade. Applicants device has been amply tried out and found to be very successful in operation.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp shade structure having in combination, a shade portion of sheet material, a substantially rigid frame for said portion including a substantially rigid ring, a wrapping for said shade of transparent sheet material extending around said portion, frame and ring, a body of evaporable material disposed between said Wrapping and frame, whereby'if said wrapping shrinks, evaporation of said body of material will compensate for said shrinkage and said frame or shade will not be distorted.

2. A lamp shade structure having in combination, a shade portion of sheet material, a substantially rigid frame for said portion including a substantially rigid ring, a wrapping for said shade of transparent sheet material extending around said portion, frame and ring, a body of evapo'rable material disposed between said wrapping and said ring, and means for holding said body of material in the desired position.

3. A lamp shade structure having in combination, a shade portion of sheet material, a substantially rigid supporting frame comprising upper and lower rings, a wrapping for said shade extending around the inner and outer sides of said shade portion and frame, a body of naphthalene engaging one of said rings and disposed between said wrapping and frame, and a number for holding said body of material in thedesired position whereby evaporation of said material will compensate for any shrinkage of said wrapping and distortion of said frame or shade will be prevented.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,989,931 Johnson Feb. 5, 1935 2,251,058 Kirkman July 29, 1941 2,498,097 Scherer Feb. 21, 1950 

